Smoking in Jewish law

It is speculated that a Jew named Luis de Torres, who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his expedition in 1492, settled in Cuba, learned the use of tobacco, and introduced it into Europe.

[1][2] As early as the 17th century, rabbis debated various halachic issues that arose in connection with tobacco use, particularly its permissibility on Shabbat, holidays, fast days, and whether a blessing must be recited before use.

[2] In Benveniste's opinion, smoking was prohibited on holidays; he quoted Rabbi Joseph Escapa as coinciding in this view, though he thought it unwise to enforce a generally accepted law.

[9] The controversy finally ended in a victory for those rabbis who permitted the use of tobacco on holidays and fast-days, except on Yom Kippur, which is like Sabbath; however, some Jews still abstain from smoking on Tisha BeAv.

[12] R' Moshe Feinstein prohibited smoking in any place where other people are found, on the grounds that it causes them distress (even ignoring health impacts).

Some rabbis sought to outlaw smoking and the use of snuff in places of worship[14] and posted notices for study halls.

The debate about the acceptability of smoking according to halacha is centered primarily around the prohibition for a person to damage his body, or bring about his death.

Feinstein explained that since the risk of illness or death due to smoking is considered small, and it is a widespread practice, it is therefore permitted under the rabbinical principle: "The Lord protects the simple."

[citation needed] There is a custom still practiced today by Hasidic and some Haredi grooms who hand out free cigarettes to their friends at their vort (engagement).

[citation needed] Early on in the Hasidic movement, the Baal Shem Tov taught that smoking tobacco can be used as a religious devotion, and can even help bring the Messianic Era.

Rabbi Dovid of Lelov taught that it is a good religious practice to smoke on Saturday nights after the Sabbath, and this practice is followed by the Rebbes of Lelov and Skulen, however the current Rebbe of Skulen discourages people from following his example, in light of current views opposing smoking, and he himself only takes a few brief puffs of a cigarette after Havdalah.